Elective Crisis

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With the miniscule amount of time given, the large amount of new AP teachers, and the annihilation of the VHS program, it has become nearly impossible to choose an elective. Selecting courses is not as easy as it seems due to the simple fact that these choices will completely shape and define the next year of your life. Therefore, with the limited guidelines and the vast amount of uncertainty that clouds the class picking process, choosing electives has become as indefinite as tossing a coin, and blindly hoping for the correct result.

“There are a lot of factors that have contributed me being confused, especially the fact that a lot of new teachers coming in, especially for the two classes I’m interested in; which are AP Chem and AP Calculus,” explained high school sophomore Alejandro Escobar, ”I am kind of making a blind jump since I don’t really know who is coming in.” Every single year the school is constantly pushing us to taking all the AP’s that we can. However, how can they expect us to make such a commitment when we don’t even know the who will be teaching it? It is no secret that teachers are a key part in the success of an AP course, and, with three of the main AP teachers leaving, and no official word of who will lead the class, choosing an AP class has become a game of chance.

Current VHS AP psychology student, Laura Loaiza was planning on taking another VHS course and now finds herself lost and frightened as all of her plans have been erased by the quick and silent murder of the VHS program. “I have no interest in taking other classes that are not going to be helpful for my life. In my case, taking AP Physics or AP Calculus is not going to help me at all to be a better psychologist.” Loaiza deeply valued the course and insists that, “In psychology I was so interested, I put my entire heart into it and now it is being taken away.” VHS offered alternative classes for students that did not precisely fit the mold. They were individuals that pursued different careers, and this program offered them a spot, a sense of recognition, and, at least, some appreciation and support. However, many of these students now feel betrayed and, in a way, stabbed in the back by the school directives for the unforeseen removal of the program they called home.

When asked about why the innovative platformed was taken away, Jorge Vasquez, the man behind the elective picking process stated that,”It’s a very simple answer. What happens is the government assigned a 40% tax for courses online and that makes it impossible to pay such an amount.” Nonetheless, high school principal Roger Arababi stated in a email sent only to parents that, “Since August 2018 we will not offer classes online via Virtual High School since our studies show that these courses are not completely aligned with our philosophy.” Why the confusion among the directives? Why the alternate facts? If the directives do not have their facts straight, than how are students expected to?

With just five days given to make the choice, a vast array of new, unknown teachers, and the liquidation of the Virtual High School program, both honor students, and eclectic students struggle to make the decision that will completely shape and define their high school experience. The school fails to keep in mind the importance of this decision, and should at least have the decency of giving an official statement to the students, so that we do not have to base our knowledge on superstitions and urban myths. Even a couple of extra days would allow students to let their depositions marinate and allow them to make better selection. However, without any help or even the slightest considerations, students are left to fend for themselves and place a bet on chance.